Cider rival's poison plot fell flat

There is a rotten apple in every barrel. In this case it was brewery director Michael Hancocks, whose elaborate plot to sabotage the products of rival cider producer HP Bulmer landed him in court.

The relationship between the brewers ended on a sour note in April 2002 after Hancocks's plan to pour yeast-based contaminants into the production line at HP Bulmer was uncovered by police after a tip-off.

Hancocks, 63, pleaded guilty at a previous hearing to conspiracy to defraud Hereford-based Bulmer's by introducing yeast-based contaminants into its products between August 31 2001 and April 5 2002. The court heard yesterday that he had hired two accomplices - chemist Richard Gay, 50, to produce the poison and Paul Harris, 41, his daughter's boyfriend, to recruit a Bulmer's factory worker to administer it. But the plot collapsed when the Bulmer's employee, Russell Jordan, called the police.

"What he had in mind was to dishonestly steal a commercial march on Bulmer's, in effect to teach them a lesson," Mr Temple said yesterday. Hancocks was a major shareholder in Aston Manor, which was suffering from falling profits.

The animosity between the two firms arose from a dispute over the use of a tax loophole once exploited by certain firms in the cider industry. Known as "duty dilution", cider-makers were allowed to reduce their tax bill by reducing the alcohol level in their drinks.

Bulmer's used the loophole to reduce the costs of its drinks, which infuriated traditionalists in the trade. Aston Manor kept away from the practice - outlawed in August 2001 - but suffered huge commercial losses as a result.

The rivalry between the two firms came to a head in the summer of 2001 when both bid for a lucrative contract with Booker's Cash and Carry, the court heard.

Bulmer's walked away with the most profitable part of the contract - leaving Aston Manor on its knees.

No contaminant entered the Bulmer's production line.

For Hancocks, Anthony Barker QC said he was a respectable and honourable man. All three men are expected to be sentenced on May 1.